What's the difference between kcal, cal and kilojoules??

vegansummerdayz
vegansummerdayz Posts: 5 Member
edited November 2024 in Getting Started
I'd like to know what is the difference between kcal, cal and kilojoules please and thank you :)

Replies

  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,343 Member
    edited July 2018
    A kcal (kilocalorie) is actually 1000 calories - but kcal is usually 'abbreviated' as calories (or Calories, with a capital 'C'), and is the measurement used when talking about foods.

    Kilojoules are a metric measurement.

    More here:

    https://www.health24.com/Diet-and-nutrition/Weight-loss/Calories-kilojoules-which-is-it-20120721

    (Except ignore the BS about "negative calorie foods" at the bottom of the page - there's actually no such thing!)
  • Gisel2015
    Gisel2015 Posts: 4,192 Member
    According with Dr. Google, PhD:

    There is no difference between a Kcal and a Cal. Kcal stands for kilocalories, and 1 Kcal is equal to 1,000 small calories. A Cal is also 1,000 small calories.

    What are kilojoules?
    Kilojoules or kJ are how we measure our energy intake (what we eat and drink) in Australia.
    A Calorie is essentially the same thing, but the scale is different. Just like the difference between inches and centimetres.
    1 kJ = 0.2 Calories
    or
    1 Calorie = 4.2 kJs

    https://theblueroom.bupa.com.au/healthier/healthy-eating/say-goodbye-to-kilojoule-and-calorie-confusion
  • vegansummerdayz
    vegansummerdayz Posts: 5 Member
    Ok that's good to know thank you! I do have another question though 😬 on this app is says kilojoules and I know when you set the app up you get asked lots of questions and it seems to work that out for you. I saw in another post somewhere that they were talking about the calories on this app but I can't find anywhere on here that mentions calories...would they have meant kilojoules or is there somewhere that clearly states calories and can be changed if I wanted to change it?
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,343 Member
    It's probably location-specific. I live in the U.S. and all the values shown are in calories. From reading this in the "Help" section, it looks like you can change it: https://myfitnesspal.desk.com/customer/portal/questions/16099112-calories
  • Lillymoo01
    Lillymoo01 Posts: 2,865 Member
    vegansummerdayz wrote: »
    Ok that's good to know thank you! I do have another question though 😬 on this app is says kilojoules and I know when you set the app up you get asked lots of questions and it seems to work that out for you. I saw in another post somewhere that they were talking about the calories on this app but I can't find anywhere on here that mentions calories...would they have meant kilojoules or is there somewhere that clearly states calories and can be changed if I wanted to change it?

    Go to settings, then profile. You can change kilojoules to calories there.
  • nutmegoreo
    nutmegoreo Posts: 15,532 Member
    If you go to settings, you can choose Calories rather than Kj.
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